2023 NJCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 3

NEW ORLEANS – Mesa (Ariz.) CC continues as a strong No. 1 in the latest NJCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

There are just over three weeks until the 2023 NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, which will be held on Saturday, November 11, at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama.

NJCAA Division II — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Lansing (Mich.) CC
Daytona State (Fla.)
Heartland (Ill.) CC
1
Mesa (Ariz.) CC
2
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
3
Lansing (Mich.) CC
4
Daytona State (Fla.)
4
Heartland (Ill.) CC
Cross Country Polls & Rankings

No. 1 Mesa (Ariz.) CC – who collected 10 of the 12 first-place votes – has competed just once since the last poll, finishing 13th in the UC Riverside Highland Invitational. The Thunderbirds, led individually by Jorge Torres, were behind just one JUCO squad, that being NJCAA DI No. 9 Central Arizona.

Defending national champion Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC remains No. 2 and garnered one first-place vote. The Pumas traveled all the way to Wisconsin for the Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitational and finished as runner-up to host (and NCAA DIII No. 2) UW-La Crosse. Nathan Pestka impressed individually in taking second place.

No. 3 Lansing (Mich.) CC repeats at No. 3 and received one first-place vote. The Stars were runner-up in the Muskegon Jayhawk Invitational, losing only to NCAA DII No. 2 Grand Valley State as Michael Dennis broke up a potential GVSU perfect score by finishing fourth.

There is a tie at No. 4.

For Heartland (Ill.) CC – last year’s national runner-up – it’s a move up by one spot. The Hawks won the Greenville Classic, led by a 1-2 finish from Matt Padilla and Ben Huey, both former M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week. For Daytona State (Fla.), it’s a third-straight time at No. 4 as the Falcons haven’t competed since the last poll.

Completing the top-10 teams are No. 6 Wallace State (Ala.) CC, No. 7 Cowley (Kan.), No. 8 Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC, No. 9 St. Clair County (Mich.) CC and No. 10 Allen (Kan.) CC.

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USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II
Men's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll

2023 Week 3 - October 18th

RANK TEAM & INFOPTSCHANGE
1 mesa-ariz-cc MESA (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1 (1)
Dan Pescador (9th)
236
(10 fpv)
◀▶
(LW: 1)
2 paradise-valley-ariz-cc PARADISE VALLEY (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1 (2)
David Barney (28th)
229
(1 fpv)
◀▶
(LW: 2)
3 lansing-mich-cc LANSING (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Jim Robinson (15th)
213
(1 fpv)
◀▶
(LW: 3)
4 daytona-state-fla DAYTONA STATE (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Judy Wilson (6th)
197 ◀▶
(LW: 4)
4 heartland-ill-cc HEARTLAND (ILL.) CC
Midwest Region
Region 24
Ty Wolf (4th)
197 ▲ 1
(LW: 5)
6 wallace-state-hanceville-ala-cc WALLACE STATE-HANCEVILLE (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Stan Narewski
179 ▲ 1
(LW: 7)
7 cowley-kan COWLEY (KAN.)
Central Region
Region 6
Cameron Rieth (6th)
177 ▼ 1
(LW: 6)
8 des-moines-area-iowa-cc DES MOINES AREA (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Michael Melchert (4th)
137 ▲ 3
(LW: 11)
9 st-clair-county-mich-cc ST. CLAIR COUNTY (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Andrea Rheaume (2nd)
135 ▼ 1
(LW: 8)
10 allen-kan-cc ALLEN (KAN.) CC
Central Region
Region 6
Vince Degrado (13th)
134 ▲ 7
(LW: 17)
11 pasco-hernando-fla PASCO-HERNANDO (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Lee Rietsma (2nd)
112 ▼ 2
(LW: 9)
12 coconino-ariz-cc COCONINO (ARIZ.) CC
West Region
Region 1 (5)
Craig Hunt
106 ▼ 2
(LW: 10)
13 southeastern-iowa-cc SOUTHEASTERN (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Lucas Keifer (4th)
99 ◀▶
(LW: 13)
14 north-iowa-area-cc NORTH IOWA AREA CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Steven Story (2nd)
91 ▲ 1
(LW: 15)
15 marion-military-institute-ala MARION MILITARY INSTITUTE (ALA.)
Central Region
Region 22
Chad Balentine (5th)
72 ▼ 1
(LW: 14)
16 southwestern-michigan SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Zachary Sartori (3rd)
68 ▼ 4
(LW: 12)
17 northwest-arkansas-cc NORTHWEST ARKANSAS CC
Central Region
Region 2
Josphat Boit (3rd)
59 ▲ 1
(LW: 18)
18 state-fair-mo STATE FAIR (MO.)
Central Region
Region 16
Brad Hagedorn (3rd)
33 NR
19 lake-sumter-state-fla LAKE-SUMTER STATE (FLA.)
Atlantic Region
Region 8
Cristy Snellgroves (5th)
18 ▼ 3
(LW: 16)
20 northeast-alabama-cc NORTHEAST ALABAMA CC
Central Region
Region 22
Patrick Laney (1st)
13 NR
21 grand-rapids-mich-cc GRAND RAPIDS (MICH.) CC
Great Lakes Region
Region 12
Sharon Becker (3rd)
5 ▼ 2
(LW: 19)
21 hawkeye-iowa-cc HAWKEYE (IOWA) CC
Midwest Region
Region 11
Tyler Mulder
5 NR
23 coastal-alabama-cc-north COASTAL ALABAMA CC-NORTH
Central Region
Region 22
Misti Nims (1st)
4 NR
24 calhoun-ala-cc CALHOUN (ALA.) CC
Central Region
Region 22
Tiffany Bain (3rd)
1 ▼ 4
(LW: 20)

Dropped Out: No. 21 Kaskaskia (Ill.), No. 21 Macomb (Mich.) CC



Week-by-Week Ranking

TeamPreseasonWeek #1Week #2Week #3Week #4FINAL
Lansing (Mich.) CC223331
Heartland (Ill.) CC655462
Daytona State (Fla.)544443
Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC112214
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC777675
Mesa (Ariz.) CC331126
Cowley (Kan.)466757
Bismarck State (N.D.)8
Allen (Kan.) CC17171099
Coconino (Ariz.) CC161810121510
Des Moines Area (Iowa) CC121181311
Pasco-Hernando (Fla.)1299111112
Marion Military Institute (Ala.)141114151413
NorthWest Arkansas CC82118171614
North Iowa Area CC91315141715
Southeastern (Iowa) CC131613131216
Southwestern Michigan111012161017
Lake-Sumter State (Fla.)2416192318
Florida State-Jacksonville1919
St. Clair County (Mich.) CC10889820
State Fair (Mo.)23182221
Calhoun (Ala.) CC1814202422
Northeast Alabama CC2122202123
UA Rich Mountain (Ark.)24
Grand Rapids (Mich.) CC151419211825
Coastal Alabama CC-North2326
Kaskaskia (Ill.)22232127
Carl Sandburg (Ill.)19RV28
Florida Gateway29
Hawkeye (Iowa) CC212030
Gadsden State (Ala.) CC172031
Southeast (Neb.) CC32
Walters State (Tenn.) CC2533
Enterprise State (Ala.) CC34
Sauk Valley (Ill.) CC35
Carl Albert State (Okla.)36
Delaware Tech CC37
Roane State (Tenn.) CC38
Macomb (Mich.) CC1921
Muskegon (Mich.) CC20

USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II Cross Country

2023 Rankings & Polls Calendar
Weeks National Coaches' Poll KEY DATES
PreseasonWed 9/6
MEN | WOMEN
Week 1Wed 9/20
MEN | WOMEN
Week 2Wed 10/4
MEN | WOMEN
Week 3Wed 10/18
MEN | WOMEN
Week 4Wed 11/1
MEN | WOMEN
FINAL Results
(official final ranking)
Sat 11/11
MEN | WOMEN